KBEM

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Recognized as the Twin Cities’ public radio voice for jazz and education, KBEM is a program of the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Approximately 150 students annually participate in KBEM’s hands-on educational program, which focuses on all aspects of broadcasting and production. Students who develop their skills and select broadcasting experience can gain significant on-air time. The station is on-air 24/7 with 35 hours of student programming each week, with live professional announcers and pre-recorded, syndicated programming filling out the rest of the schedule. KBEM is the only station in the Twin Cities market which offers a jazz format and officially provides MN-DOT traffic reports.

KBEM was initially established at Minneapolis Vocational High School in the 1960s. The station was moved to North High School in 1983 as a part of the District’s desegregation initiative and it continues to reside there today. The vast majority of KBEM students attend North High School.

Series

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20 Pieces

Joan Griffith, Twin Cities musician and educator, has conversations with prominent Minnesota jazz musicians.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: May 25, 2016
Caption: Joan Griffith, Credit: Ann Marsen
20 Pieces

Joan Griffith, Twin Cities guitar player and educator, interviews Minnesota jazz artists.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: May 27, 2016
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13 Pieces

Minneapolis Public School teachers talk with Kevin O'Connor about their accomplishments.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Jul 14, 2011
Caption: Leigh Kamman, Credit: Andrea Canter
57 Pieces

During his 60-plus years in jazz broadcasting, Leigh Kamman conducted hundreds of interviews with jazz artists, including many from the Minnesota scene. These are being preserved and edited by the Leigh Kamman Legacy Project and presented as The Jazz Image: Minnesota Edition, a continuation of the The Jazz Image: Special Edition series. These projects are part of the process of preserving and sharing the massive archive of historical recordings he left when he passed away in October 2014.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Jun 29, 2020
Caption: Leigh Kamman, Credit: Andrea Canter
14 Pieces

Minnesota jazz broadcasting legend Leigh Kamman conducted hundreds of interviews with jazz artists, including some of jazz's illustrious figures. Now, these treasures have been lovingly preserved and edited into a new series of broadcasts, The Jazz Image: Special Edition. These recordings preserve priceless conversation Leigh Kamman had with such luminaries as Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan and Stan Kenton. In his ninth decade, Kamman adds fresh commentary to round out these 5 minute broadcasts, 13 in all in this series.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Jan 14, 2014
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779 Pieces

5 to 8-minute, highly produced heads-ups highlighting great musical activities in the Twin Cities broadly conceived. The pieces feature the musicians, their music, club owners, fans, in short all of those responsible for creating musical experiences.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Dec 10, 2019
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0 Pieces

Viva City, Festival of the Arts, was initiated thirteen years ago as a way to showcase arts education in Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). In this pod cast, we feature the musical portion of Viva City from the Ted Mann Concert Hall at the University of Minneapolis.

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: May 29, 2011
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31 Pieces

Minneapolis High School Students comment on Minnesota Arts, Culture and History

  • From: KBEM
  • Updated: Aug 24, 2011

Latest Pieces

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In this episode, we head to Edison High School to hear performance excerpts and talk to band director Lesley Earles about the program and the stude...

  • Added: Mar 18, 2024
  • Length: 57:30
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In this episode, we hear excerpts of live performances from Winona State jazz groups. We also talk to music directors Rich Macdonald and Aaron Lohm...

  • Added: Mar 18, 2024
  • Length: 58:21
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In this episode, we head to Southwest High School and a spring jazz concert put on by various student combos and the Southwest Jazz Big Band, heade...

  • Added: Mar 18, 2024
  • Length: 57:30
Caption: Hot Club at the Hook poster image, Credit: Hook and Ladder
The Mississippi Hot Club, the Red Hot Django Peppers and Gypsy Mania, three leading hot club jazz bands are getting together for a concert on April...

  • Added: Mar 17, 2024
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Yemi Love, Credit: Alvan Washington
Sue Scott is an actor who has always been touched by women's stories. So she started a series of live performances that are recorded and then poste...

  • Added: Mar 12, 2024
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: jazz88 logo 2022, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
A.J. Srubas leads a group of great local fiddlers in a tribute to bluegrass fiddler, Kenny Baker. Baker served for many years as the fiddler in the...

  • Added: Mar 10, 2024
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: Twin Cities Flamenco Collective, Credit: Acer C. Wang
The Twin Cities Flamenco Collective continues at Icehouse in Minneapolis, Sunday March 17. It features its cast of local players as well as a singe...

  • Added: Mar 09, 2024
  • Length: 08:00
Caption: The Dregs, Credit: Amore Photography
The Dregs occupy a singular musical niche: Band members backgrounds are varied, but together, the group sings and plays twisted versions of songs, ...

  • Added: Mar 08, 2024
  • Length: 08:01
Caption: The Dregs, Credit: Amore Photography
The Dregs occupy a singular musical niche: Band members backgrounds are varied, but together, the group sings and plays twisted versions of songs, ...

  • Added: Mar 08, 2024
  • Length: 08:01
Caption: jazz88 logo 2022, Credit: Tim Nyberg (Octane Creative)
Power Up! Is the name of the Women’s Day Music Fest Friday night March 8 at the Hook and Ladder in Minneapolis. Billed as a celebration of women an...

  • Added: Feb 24, 2024
  • Length: 08:00